August 2008 Intelligence News

Report says China offered widespread help on nukes by Dan Vergano, USA Today, August 29. "China gave Pakistan the blueprint for an atomic bomb, testing the finished product in 1990, and unveiled a sophisticated nuclear weapons complex to visiting U.S. scientists in the last decade, report former weapons lab officials."

Report: Google Aiding Governments After Concerns With 'Earth' Program, by Derek Kravitz, Washington Post Investigations, August 27. "Google has been increasingly helpful to U.S. and foreign intelligence services in taking down images from its Google Earth program when concerns arise about the possibility that terrorists could make use of the pictures for planning attacks, according to a government report prepared by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence."

Nations Respond To Google Earth Threat by Thomas Claburn, Information Week, August 26. "From banning Google Earth to simply ignoring the mapping service, countries are working to deal with potential security violations arising from the images Google makes available online."

Anthrax case raises concerns about highly secure programs by Gregg Carlstrom, Federal Times, August 19. "Bruce Ivins, the biologist suspected of sending anthrax-laced letters to politicians and journalists in 2001, began showing signs of mental illness as far back as 2000 -- but he was allowed to access sensitive research facilities until as recently as last year."

DIA's new mission adds to intel arsenal by Pamela Hess, Associated Press, August 5. "The Defense Intelligence Agency, long a home for intelligence analysis, is joining the spy vs. spy game. DIA joins just three other military organizations authorized to carry out offensive counterintelligence operations."